


Sunset

by theoncomingwolf



Series: Ayanak Humanstuck [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Cuddles, F/F, Fluff, Hanukkah, Holidays, Humanstuck, vague references to mom lalonde's drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 14:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8581813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoncomingwolf/pseuds/theoncomingwolf
Summary: A fluff fic ft Kanaya sleeping at Rose's house on one of the nights of Hanukkah





	

It is only when Rose’s mother excuses herself from the table that Rose really starts talking. The early conversations were instigated by Rose’s mother, and directed at either Kanaya or Rose. By the end, it was mostly Kanaya answering the questions put forth to her, with Rose quietly eating the food Ms. Lalonde prepared.

It seemed to Kanaya that Rose was hesitant to talk to her in front of her mother, and she feels this most strongly once the woman has left. Rose sets down her fork, looks up from her plate, and says something characteristically snarky and intelligent. She’d spoken a fair amount at the table, to her mom, but it was as if she’d wished for whatever she needed to say to Kanaya to remain between them.

They’ve had a rather long day,  meeting in the morning for breakfast before embarking on a shopping trip around the mall. Rose followed Kanaya into every shop she wished to enter, even though she didn’t appear to even entertain the thought of buying anything most of the time. She mostly had tried things on at Kanaya’s request, but ended the trip having purchased more.

Kanaya finishes her dinner as Rose tells her about something Dave has done. When she has had enough, Rose stands, taking both of their plates to the dishwasher, and sets the kettle on for a couple of teas. She leans against the counter, continuing their conversation beside the rumbling pot, and Kanaya smiles at the way she tries to comfortably settle herself there, too short to sit, or to set the edge of the counter into the space of her lower back.

“I can see why he and Terezi get along,” Kanaya says, “they both have an uncanny ability to trigger my concern without actually supplying me with specific actions I should hope to prevent.”

“Do you think that Vriska’s hanging around Terezi again will provide you with further invocation to meddle?”

“I hope that it will placate Vriska somewhat, not encourage Terezi,” Kanaya frowns, “They’re a rather unpredictable combination, though, being enablers to others individually...”

She sighs, remembering her rather unfortunate crush on Vriska, and resisting the urge to check up on her. Age, at least, seems to have mellowed them out a bit. She hopes it’s enough.

Ms. Lalonde re-enters the kitchen as the rumbling of the kettle is loud enough to drown out some of her words. She reaches into the cabinet for a glass, pouring herself dark brown liquid, like coffee, with a splash of clear liquid following. She takes the milk, which Rose has set on the counter for their teas, and adds a splash of it, as well.

“It’s almost sunset,” she points out, leaning beside Rose, and pushing herself up with one hand to sit on the counter.

Kanaya is sure what she’s said means something to them, but all it does for Kanaya is remind her what a ridiculous time they ate at. In her own home they don’t have dinner until almost 8, so she was rather surprised when she was asked to sit down and eat at 4:45.

“Oh,” Rose says, moving from the counter to take a look out the closest window, where the sky is beginning to turn pink, “I’m late.”

She leaves the water unpoured, calling for Kanaya to follow her as she races up the stairs.

Kanaya, puzzled, follows after.

Rose pulls a box of matches from her drawer, slipping off her shoes and stepping onto her bed, to better reach the menorah sitting in her window. Despite apparently being late, Rose takes a moment to explain for her, though Kanaya thinks the sight of it is explanation enough for her.

“I’m not very religious,” she says first, and Kanaya suspects the purpose of the explanation is so Kanaya doesn’t think she’s suddenly a believer in God, “but it’s a nice tradition. I’m supposed to have lit them before sunset, but I’m cutting it a little late,”

“Is this why we ate before 5?” Kanaya questions.

“No, we just eat at weird times here,” Rose says, match poised over the rough ignition paper, “my mother slept through lunch, I think.”

Kanaya doesn’t comment further on it; Rose makes light of her mother’s drinking, but Kanaya doesn’t feel comfortable enough to reference it herself, fearing Rose feels more strongly than she tends to let on.

“Ready?” Rose asks, including her in this; Kanaya, who removed her shoes from the moment she stepped into Rose’s home, steps onto the bed beside her without further ado.

Rose drags the match across the side of the box, lighting it in one stroke, and sets the flame to the middle candle on the menorah. She recites something softly in Hebrew as she acts. It does not sound as similar to Arabic as Kanaya would have assumed, despite the common origins, and though she can’t catch its meaning, she thinks it sounds rather pleasant.

Using the middle candle, she lights first the candle to the leftmost of the menorah, then the one beside it, and in total lights 4, setting the middle candle back when she’s done, so that 5 of the 9 candles are flickering softly in the darkening room.

Kanaya doesn’t speak, in case there is anything else that Rose must do first.

They stand beside each other in a nice silence for a good minute, before Rose inches a little closer, and presses the side of her face into Kanaya’s arm, eyes fixed forward. She breathes out ever so slightly, and watches the flames dance in response.

“Don’t mind me,”

Rose moves her gaze to the doorway, where her mother has entered with their teas, but for the first time since she’s been home that day, she does not pull away from Kanaya in response, does not hide her affections. She places her head back against Kanaya’s arm, muttering a soft thanks to her mother as she sets the drinks down and leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

Rose finally pulls away, to sit at the head of her bed, and looks expectantly to Kanaya.

She steps over softly, then lowers herself to sit right beside Rose, awkwardly brushing heavily against her in an attempt to retain balance as she settles upon the soft surface of the bed.

Rose passes Kanaya her tea, taking her own in one hand, and snaking her free arm behind Kanaya’s back.

“Thank you,” Kanaya says, a delayed response to the tea, “this evening has been quite pleasant. With dinner so early, and the sun below the horizon, it seems much later than it is. I feel as if I will fall right to sleep the second I have finished off this tea.”

“That would be fine,” Rose says, “We can wake up at 4am and have pancakes.”

Kanaya hums softly in response, taking another sip of tea and wriggling in place to settle more comfortably next to Rose.

“How long do these burn?”

“Another hour or so.”

The flames burn fairly straight now, without Rose breathing on them, or the open door creating draft. They’re fueled by oil rather than wax, so their appearance gives away no hints about their duration.

Kanaya turns her head, breathing in the soft smell that clings to Rose, and closes her eyes. After a little bit, she feels the cup delicately plucked from her fingers, and she turns, no longer trapped by the fear of spilling. Rose inches down, so her head comes to rest by her neck, instead of under her arm, and Kanaya falls asleep an hour after sunset.


End file.
